Fraud-preventing device for coin-controlled apparatus.



' PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

. F. 53-0011. FRAUD PREVENTING DBV-IGH'FOR com CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23.:1900.

. 'I ENT E Frank 1,Cox.

UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. COX, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' FRAUD-PREVENTING DEVICE FOR COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,347, dated May 23, 1905.

Original application filed April 14. 1898, Serial No. 677,527. Divided and this application filed November 23. 1900. Serial No. 37AM.

- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. Cox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fraud-Preventing Devices for Coin-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a specification The present application is a division of my pending application, Serial No. 677,527, filed April 14, 1898, which division is made under the requirements of the United States Patent Oflice under the provision of Rules 41 and 42.

My invention relates to coin-controlled devices, and more particularly to the means employed for preventing fraudulent operation, and has for its object to provide asimple and reliable device for this purpose, as will be more fully set forth and claimed hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of a meter fitted with my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the coin-receiver.

My invention is shown in connection with a prepayment electric meter, since it has par ticular utility in connection therewith; but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such a use, but may be applied to any type of coin-controlled apparatus.

Mounted upon the upper part of the frame A is a registering device B, which device is driven by the armature C through the medium of a worm D, (shown in dotted lines.) Geared to the register is a cam-wheel E, havmg a number of projections thereon which engage with and tilt the oscillating piece I.

The coins on leaving the coin-receiver are caught between the pivot-piece I and the flat spring O, (illustrated in dotted lines.) After the prepaid amount of energy has been received or the prepaid commodity delivered the tilting piece I, moved by the cam-wheel E, releases the coin, and the latter falls into a suitable coin-box.

Mounted on the front plate of the register is a coin-chute H, adapted to receive one or.

more coins or tokens N for closing the circuit, the coin or token 'belng illustrated in dotted lines. To prevent improper manipulation of the apparatusas, for example, closing the in diameter than the coin-chute and is provided with a pocket J as shown in Fig. 3, into which the coin is dropped by the person desiring electric energy or its equivalent. The coin-receiver is fitted closely into a receptacle formed on the upper end of the coinchute, and its edges being comparatively sharp and being arranged to pass in close proximity to the sides 7' on the chute when the receiver is rotated any piece of string or similar material attached to coin in the chute for the purpose of holding the coin in the position to maintain the circuit closed will be severed, or if the string be of sufficient size the coin-receiver will be prevented from rotating and the coin cannot complete the circuit.

To the'coin-receiver is rigidly secured a shaft K, which is provided with an enlarged central portion K. Secured to the outside of the coin-chute and located between it and the enlargement or shoulder K is a short sleeve, which forms a bearing for the shaft. On the outer end of the shaft is formeda shoulder against which the handle K is seated and held in place by a key and screw. The stem of the handle is chambered out to receive the shaft, and located therein is a coiled spring L, which surrounds the shaft andis secured at one end to the handle by means of the shaft and at the other end to one of the side walls of the coin-chute. The object of this spring is to return the coin-receiver to a position where it will receive ,the deposited coin. Secured to the front plate of the coin-chute is a pin M, adapted to be engaged by the projections in and is on the operating-handle and limit its movement. As

shown in Figs. 1 and'2, the parts are in the normal position and in readines to receive a coin, Whereas in Fig. 3 the coin-receiver has been slightly rotated, the coin N being indicated in dotted lines.

Upon the insertion of a suitable coin or token in the receptacle J the handle K is rotated manually against the action of the spiral spring L until the projection it" strikes against the pin M, (shown in full lines, Fig. 2, and in dotted lines, Fig. 3.) This arrests further movement of the receiver. At or about the instant the projection 7t strikes the stop M the coin in the receiver is discharged into the chute and the next instant closes the circuit between the contact-spring O and the tilting piece I. As soon as the operating-handle K is released the spring L returns it to its normal position.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a device for preventing the improper manipulation of coin-controlled apparatus, the combination of a coin-chute, a rotary plate mounted therein, and containing a coinreceiving pocket, a shaft secured to the plate, a sleeve Which is secured to one of the side Walls of the coin-chute and forms a bearing for the shaft, an enlargement formed on the shaft Which acts as an abutment, an operatinghandle mounted on the shaft and held against the enlargement thereon, means for preventing the handle from turning independent of the shaft, and a spring which is secured at one end to the handle and to the other end to a fixed abutment on the coin-chute.

2. Inafraud-preventive device for coin-controlled apparatus, a coin-chute, an oscillating coin-carrier mounted therein having a coinreceiving position and a coin-discharging position, a handle for moving said carrier from its coin-receiving position to its coin-discharging position, said handle being recessed, stops permitting the movement of said carrier, and a spring mounted within said recessed handle and put under tension by the movement of the carrier from the coin-receiving position toward the coin-discharging position.

In Witness whereof 1 have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of November, 1900.

FRANK P. COX.

Witnesses:

DUeALn MoK. MoKrnnor, JOHN J. VALKER. 

